Pelosi: No Timetable for U.S. in Afghanistan

A $ 94.2 billion war funding bill presented to the Congress includes no time limit for the US presence in Afghanistan, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says.

Pelosi made the remarks after Rep. David Obey; chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee told reporters on Monday that he would give President Barack Obama a year to succeed in Afghanistan.

“Mr. Obey, by his own admission was giving his own opinion,” Pelosi told reporters. “The legislation that will come before the committee this week and the Congress next week has no timeline or anything like that.”

“At last, we have a plan, and I support the President’s plan,” she added.

“How long will it take?” Pelosi said. “I don’t know, but it is essential to our security that we fight terrorism there.”

The US forces entered Afghanistan in late 2001 after toppling the Taliban regime.

Pelosi’s remarks come a day after Afghan officials said that up to 150 non-combatants, including women and children, have been killed in US-led strikes in western Afghanistan.

The recent civilian death toll is one of the highest since US-led forces invaded the country.

The war in Afghanistan has caused the deaths of thousands of Afghan civilians directly from insurgent and foreign military action.

Possibly tens of thousands of Afghan civilians have also been killed indirectly as a result of displacement, starvation, disease, lack of medical treatment, and lawlessness from the war.